Short-Term Changes in Retinal Activity With Four Myopia Control Spectacle Lenses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether defocus induced by four myopia control spectacle lenses translate into retinal functional changes.

METHODS

Nineteen young myopic adults (18-28 years) wore four lens that induce peripheral myopic defocus through different lenslet patterns: two segmented defocus optics (Aura 3 and Aura 6), defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS), and highly aspherical lenslet target (HALT). Retinal function was assessed at baseline, after 30 minutes, and after 15 days using photopic 3.0 full-field electroretinography (ERG), pattern ERG, and global-flash multifocal ERG.

RESULTS

The Aura 6 showed increased ff ERG a-wave amplitude at 15 days (P = 0.02), whereas the Aura 3 showed increased b-wave amplitude (P = 0.01). All lenses induced short-term pattern ERG amplitude increases (N35-P50, P50-N95; P < 0.01), with diverse segmented defocus optics maintaining higher responses at 15 days. On global flash multifocal ERG, HALT induced the strongest and most sustained amplitude increases in midperipheral and peripheral regions (14.8°-30.0°) with reduced implicit times at 30° (P = 0.03). The Aura 6 showed progressive but partially transient amplitude increases, and the Aura 3 elicited delayed enhancements at 14.8° to 23.0°. Defocus incorporated multiple segments showed early changes at 7.6° to 14.8° and 23° to 30°, which diminished by 15 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Myopia control spectacle lenses produce distinct retinal electrophysiological responses related to their optical design and defocus profile. The HALT and Aura 6, with more widely distributed lenslet patterns, induced the most consistent changes in peripheral and inner retinal function. These findings support that optical defocus can modulate retinal activity, potentially contributing to mechanisms regulating eye growth.

TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: Different myopia control spectacle lens designs induce distinct functional changes in retinal activity, according their optical defocus profiles. Understanding these retinal responses may help to optimize lens strategies to improve myopia control efficacy.